Random car facts... [Archive] - Performance Nova Group

brownbear

19-07-12, 12:01 AM

Also known as the thread for Mowgli to educate us on our ill advised facts. :thumb:
(Love ya Mowgli)

Just thought it would be an interesting to have a thread to learn new things about cars that we didn't all know before.

I will start:

http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/Snappy%20Fin-ish.jpg

there's a shark inside the glovebox trim on corsa D's, apparently a designer had a bet with some friends he could get a shark in a corsa.

pie

19-07-12, 12:03 AM

wtf shark f lol lol

brainsnova

19-07-12, 12:09 AM

Corsa put the fun back into driving

brownbear

19-07-12, 11:24 AM

Ok.... How did this exact image end up on the TV Facebook page?

pie

19-07-12, 12:19 PM

type corsa d shark into google images

3rd one across

not hard to do fella any tom dick or harry can do it f lol lol

Dan Stanley

19-07-12, 01:09 PM

TVR Cerbera (early pre-facelift) used mk3 Fiesta rear lights behind a tinted perspex cover

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx224/DanStanley/TVR-Cerbera_1993_800x600_wallpaper_04.jpg

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx224/DanStanley/mstewartrear.jpg

But Im sure you already knew this :roll:

p.s: There are lots more of cars/vans/taxis/3 wheelers that share lights

pie

19-07-12, 01:26 PM

tvr griffith 500 use's upside down cav gsi rear lights

http://img2.netcarshow.com/TVR-Griffith_500_1993_800x600_wallpaper_03.jpg

pie

19-07-12, 01:28 PM

3 wheeler's use mk2 fiester lights

http://www.greenwaygarage.com/uploads/124cdc6802a5e45690420704.png

http://uploads.turbosport.co.uk/getrempic3.php?url=http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx239/D6GMB/SDC13534.jpg

pie

19-07-12, 01:32 PM

new 3 wheel'er use corsa b head lights (would love to see it with morettes f lol lol

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3631/5842894364_2648c907fc_z.jpg

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/32001564/aview/CORSAB_BLK_GRILL1.jpg

Mike B GTE

19-07-12, 03:03 PM

One of the early Nobles uses Mk1 Mondeo rear lamps iirc

paul james

19-07-12, 03:06 PM

Isn't there some wierd little car that uses the Nova rear lights?

Mazz

19-07-12, 03:13 PM

bazil

19-07-12, 03:17 PM

Isn't there some wierd little car that uses the Nova rear lights?

Nov4-sport sent me this ages ago, it was in a scrap yard local to him lol

http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy181/Bazil_2468/random1/51c1d3d5.jpg

Mike

19-07-12, 05:50 PM

One of the early Nobles uses Mk1 Mondeo rear lamps iirc

A lot of Nobles use Mondeo parts, old & newer models. The M12, M400 & M10 more so. The M600 even uses Mondeo parts.

And as we all know, the M600 has an XC90 engine with a pair of turbos strapped to it in it the boot.

And I got have a butchers around quite a few on my last outing there :)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j181/mikenova/noblen.jpg

Mike

19-07-12, 05:55 PM

Anyway, another intersting factiod is this....

The Garia golf buggy is built in the same factory as the Porsche Boxster/Cayman.

Royston

19-07-12, 06:38 PM

Lotus Esprit uses Rover Sd1 rear lights upside down, no pics sorry

Mark Sparks

19-07-12, 07:22 PM

Rover
https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUOONVF1US0xtmKqC58b4ggICSxmz6X qmrbqrUtokoq4C3SwmJ

Lotus Esprit
https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqdr6Pt-VfCSeB4o2OB1qvBkwL_QPgHl23dACjh8Cs_KyAhl06
:thumb: Well spotted

Did you know Fiat 500 was the same chassis as a new Ka:)

mowgli

19-07-12, 07:47 PM

the sharky thing looks fun, i'm surprised it got past the management

esprit/sdi pics have the lights the same way up.....

some of my faves...

the mk1 scirocco was launched a year before the golf (that it was based on) because vw's bosses were quite worried that their 1st attempt at a front engined/fwd hatchback might not be good enough!!!!

the gm slant 4 2.3, as fitted to the chevette hs, and was the basis of the esprit engine was actually meant to be a v8.

the saab turbo engine (pre gm) was actually based on the tr7 engine

the mclaren f1gtr that won the 1995 LeMans was actually the original crash test car. it had been pounded into the mira test wall several times before lying round the factory, when someone rang them up in a hurry to get a gt racer.

the golf gti was a lunchtime project at the vag test track, and not meant to be an official car. but the bosses found out & liked it

the audi quattro was based on a military transport vehicle project...

a f1 world championship was won by a car with a rover v8 block & daimler conrods..(repco brabham)

raf24

19-07-12, 07:54 PM

You've probably seen these but,really ugly south american cheverolet variants of the corsa B & C
http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad166/bigraf24/37c2a430.jpg
http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad166/bigraf24/ca9015ef.jpg
http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad166/bigraf24/14d0f518.jpg

brownbear

19-07-12, 08:18 PM

The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was one of three fibreglass replicas. The company who made the replicas were sued by Ferrari for wrongful use of the company logo.

The orginal Morris minor designed by sir Alec issigonis was orginaly an inch narrower than the production model.
The raised section down the bonnet is where the extra width was added!!!

Audi's original quattro was supposed to have a permanently locked centre diff, until one of the development team's wife borrowed it and complained it was difficult to park.

Easy one, TVR got it's name from the founder TreVoR.

The Lamborghini lp640 uses mk1 ford focus side repeaters.

The Porsche 911 was originally badged as a 901 until a disagreement with Peugeot who were using the ' 0 ' in their model numbering.

Ferriari's were originally painted Yellow, as when the company started, the owner saw a fighter pilot with an emblem of the horse on a yellow background on his Tail fin.

When the pilot was KIA, Ferrari painted cars red in his honour, and the public preferred the colour to the yellow.

Also, the Ford Mustang isn't named after the type of Horse, but intact named after the P51 Mustang.

BMW started out as a plane engine manufacturers, the Logo now represents the 4 blades of a prop / to look like the blades of a prop.

brownbear

19-07-12, 08:20 PM

Pierre Levegh, who was involved in the 1955 Le Mans disaster was leading the 1952 by four laps until the last hour when his engine failed. He had done the entire race distance single handed to that point.

the first ever rear veiw mirror was used by a race car in the very first indy 500 on may 30th 1911, driver Ray Harroun wanted a light weight car to beat his rivals and at the time other competitors used to have a riding mechanic (co-driver or spotter) who used to run the race with the driver, Harroun's car was designed for one person only so used a mirror to replace his spotter.

brownbear

19-07-12, 08:21 PM

The XJ220 has Rover 200 rear lights, the Noble M12 has Mondeo rear lights, and the Invicta S1 uses Passat rear lights

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/12/2012/01/f9b34545482eb4a008842494415d1fe4.jpg

brownbear

19-07-12, 08:22 PM

The Zonda uses the same aircon control unit as a MG ZS

Zonda
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/7104/mg3435m.jpg

MG ZS
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/6569/screenshot20120406at203.png

brownbear

19-07-12, 08:24 PM

The only other car that uses the same spark plugs as the mk1 golf 16s is the ferrari f40

brownbear

19-07-12, 08:24 PM

The nova was close to being the most stolen car in the uk at the time
only beaten by the land rover defender iirc.

Now the most stolen car in the UK is the BMW X5

2nd is the range rover

3rd is the BMW M3

mk1nova_rich

19-07-12, 08:31 PM

That steering wheel is fooking gash lol some interesting facts being posted

Asa-James

19-07-12, 08:57 PM

"Quatroporte" as in the Maserati, literally translates to "Four Door"

when BMW were designing the new mini, they inadvertantly suggested they should call it the Maxi (not knowing of the original mini's cousin)

the original twin spark engine in the Alfa 75 actually required eight spark plugs to work properly, the later twin spark engine was just a selling gimmick and would have functioned fine using just four spark plugs.

despite the common quote of Henry Ford about the model T, "they can have it in any colour, so long as its black", the T was never available in black during 1908 to 1914 (it was in production til 1927)

the first post war landrovers were painted green, as there was lots left over after the war

Hobbit

19-07-12, 09:21 PM

the first post war landrovers were painted green, as there was lots left over after the war

That's also why they are made from aluminium as they had loads of that left from the planes :)

brownbear

19-07-12, 09:23 PM

despite the common quote of Henry Ford about the model T, "they can have it in any colour, so long as its black", the T was never available in black during 1908 to 1914 (it was in production til 1927)

That is freaking awesome!

brainsnova

19-07-12, 09:24 PM

Metrocab has mk4 escort cabriolet / estate rear lights

8valve-craig

19-07-12, 09:45 PM

Series 1 Escort RS Turbo's were only available in white.

But Princess Diana had a genuine black one.

paul080803

19-07-12, 09:49 PM

There were 3 factory black, rest were all white!

8valve-craig

19-07-12, 09:52 PM

Even more interesting. Who had the other 2?

bazil

19-07-12, 09:57 PM

There were some red ones made too but not sold to the public.

The last Sierra Saphire Cosworth 4x4 to leave the production line was mallard Green, the only one of its kind.

brownbear

19-07-12, 09:59 PM

(Pilfered from Edition)

For S1's they were all white apart from a black 1 (princess Di's), a grey 1 (sent back to the factory by the customer), a blue 1 (used in a T.V series) and 3 red

bazil

19-07-12, 10:00 PM

The red ones were race cars in datapost livery,

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:02 PM

Testarossa means "red head" The ferrari reference/utilisation was because they painted the top of the cylinder head red.

So if you don't want to sound chav you can have a Testarossa Nova..... lol

Mike

19-07-12, 10:10 PM

There were 3 factory black, rest were all white!

This.

Princess Diana was given one, other two are allegedly in the Ford collection of classics.

Anyway, more factiods...

BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works (common knowledge)
The letters MBL are written on (to date) over 50 Aston Martin DB9 Vantage carbon rear diffusers & over 100 pairs of AS carbon strakes.
Neill Briggs of MONO Racecars was the cheif engineering manager of the Focus RS (Mk1) project back in't deh.
The first set of fully automated traffic lights installed in the UK were in Princess Sq in Wolverhampton.

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:14 PM

A old Aston Martin virage uses scirooco rear lights. Also a washer jet motor from a type 2 camper
http://www.plus4.freeserve.co.uk/amorg/virage/am028.jpg

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:15 PM

The comeback mini was designed by the rover group, however when BMW sold rover, they kept the rights to the revamped mini and the rest is history...

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:16 PM

This.

Princess Diana was given one, other two are allegedly in the Ford collection of classics.

Anyway, more factiods...

BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works (common knowledge)
The letters MBL are written on (to date) over 50 Aston Martin DB9 Vantage carbon rear diffusers & over 100 pairs of AS carbon strakes.
Neill Briggs of MONO Racecars was the cheif engineering manager of the Focus RS (Mk1) project back in't deh.
The first set of fully automated traffic lights installed in the UK were in Princess Sq in Wolverhampton.

http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/u392/Mathewgarfitt/c673867f.jpg

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:18 PM

Ooooh, Epic post re S1

The black S1 that Princess Diana drove was never registered in her name, it stayed under fords name.
The car was fitted with an XR3i grille so it wouldn't stand out, later replaced with the RS one.
When she owned it it had different plates to the ones that are on it now (C515DYT)
When Diana had finished with the S1 it went back to ford and had a number plate change, then it ended up as a prize on capital radio for a competition. I believe a woman won it then sold it on to its present owner, think its still only showing approx 25000 miles or there abouts.

Princess Diana's car was the only genuine S1 sprayed black directly onto the shell from bare metal in the factory, it has the word Schwarz on the colour code panel, similar to black Mk2 RS2000s. (Every other S1 says white on the chassis plates.)
The option was there for other colours for an extra cost, where white cars were stripped down & then resprayed in the factory.

There were a number of others that were resprayed, but all came out of the factory already assembled as white S1's, so they have a total strip and resprayed.

There were 2 other black ones produced, one of which used to reside in Torbay which was sold on ebay in a hell of a state to what it used to be! (Was at one time a show car)

There was a blue one produced for the TV series "Cats Eyes".

There is a grey one in existance that was bought brand new then sent back to the factory for a strip and total repaint.

There were a few red ones produced as well as the Datapost circuit cars & one road version which was a standard road car mocked up in the Datapost livery for shows & promotional work. The road car was also up for sale last year & one of the circuit cars is owned by a mate of mine in Cornwall.

There was also a yellow one produced for the oval circuit.

(Not my words)

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:23 PM

Mark Bonkers Bailey has it's original plate on it.

http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/23965/tn_di-L.jpg

paul080803

19-07-12, 10:26 PM

/\ this boy knows his fords!!!

Rep added ;)

Mike

19-07-12, 10:26 PM

^his collection is EPIC!

Hell, his garage/showroom/museum is farking epic too!

mowgli

19-07-12, 10:34 PM

lamborghini cars came about because mr lamborghini, a tractor maker, fell out with enzo ferrari over how unreliable his cars were, and enzo allegedly said 'well if you think you can do better'

the cosworth dfv & ford gt40 came about because ford attempted to buy ferrari, only for ferrari to do a deal with fiat, so ford decided to beat them at their own game.

the citroen logo is based on a funky twin helical gear that mr citroen invented.

the chevrolet logo is based on a wallpaper pattern that mr chevrolet liked the look of.

the concept for the vw beetle was stolen from skoda..

the mpv was invented by a man called walter shepherd. he took ford model tt commercial vehicle chassis, and sold multiple demountable bodies for them, so one could be a box van or a flat bed all week, and a bus for evenings & weekends. he was my great great uncle.

the escort cosworth really was an escort mk5 shell welded onto a cut & shut sierra floorpan.

the delorean ran lotus esprit underpinnings.

the original landrover discovery was actually based on the mk1 rangerover, with maestro van rear lights, sherpa headlamps & marina door handles. the designer was told not to do too good a job on it or they'd never sell any more range rovers, which made a huge profit...
the range rover was designed as a 3 door, and very soon a 5 door version was designed.. bl management wouldn't ok it for about 10 years, then amazingly they prototyped a london taxi using the 5 door rangerover shell...seriously.

the jcb fastrac uses suspension based on citroen designs.

leyland lorries use gm door latches

when the e type was launched, it shocked the world by its affordable performance. next to the MIRA test track is the red gate pub. it is exactly 100 miles from marble arch. one morning a std e type jag made the trip in 1hr. it helped that the m1 had no speed limit in those days. my dad told me this story. it was actually for a bet & the people from jag knew nothing about it.

the bmw mini was definitely not all bmw's work. i saw prototypes at cowley in 1994/5 that were pre bmw, but they re-engineered it to remove any signs of rover influence from it...

pie

19-07-12, 10:34 PM

his showroom is by me and its sweeeeeeeeeeeet :)

both the black escort s1 is there and MALLARD GREEN SAPP AND THE VERY LAST 4X4 OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE DONE 17K

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww209/mtrbailey/princess123.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww209/mtrbailey/bonkers%20collection/IMG_1594-1.jpg

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww209/mtrbailey/bonkers%20collection/thialandandcars178.jpg

steviegsi

19-07-12, 10:35 PM

^his collection is EPIC!

Hell, his garage/showroom/museum is farking epic too!

Seen his collection across the ford mags over the years. Very very impressive.

Mike

19-07-12, 10:39 PM

http://i720.photobucket.com/albums/ww209/mtrbailey/bonkers%20collection/thialandandcars178.jpg

Looks fab that.

He must have some reet cash that old boy. Well, his kids will do when he passes away thats for sure!

brownbear

19-07-12, 10:41 PM

I wanna see the cheeky sierra popping in the right corner of that pic!

steviegsi

19-07-12, 10:41 PM

Heres a link to the collection for anyone that's never seen it.

http://www.rsownersclub.co.uk/rsocbb/showthread.php?t=201436

I'm in love with the rs1600i.

pie

19-07-12, 10:41 PM

his collection is out of this world some truly mint fords there :)

rare red 2wd sapp cossie to :)

mowgli

19-07-12, 10:44 PM

random rs1600i fact.. so they could play with the porting for group A racing, the ports had to be hand finished.. so basically, some kid was given a die grinder & told to bother them a bit on all the 5000 production engines... then the proper tuners could do the job properly..

Paul

19-07-12, 10:53 PM

There was one brown nova sport made

steviegsi

19-07-12, 10:59 PM

There was one brown nova sport made

lol lol lol lol

Nova-nation

19-07-12, 11:04 PM

Honda S2000 is/was the most powerful NA 2.0 production car produced, 240bhp iirc

Axiam 500 (which also have have great small alternators for XE's!)

http://images01.olx.fr/ui/11/98/51/1307119907_212389751_2-Photos-de--Vends-AIXAM-500-LUXE-4-places-90kmH-
VAR.jpg

One of my mates had one of these, body entirely made of plastic and has a 3 cylinder diesel digger engine, does 80mpg and 50mph, brilliant little car for the old people lol I wouldn't want one though

Asa-James

19-07-12, 11:13 PM

one of the builders of the Bristol Fighter T described it as "the worst wing we have ever built". Bristol also designs and produces aircraft components

when the CCXR was unveiled, Koenigsegg were proud of the fact it could run on E85 bioethanol, bot for its green credentials (as most manufacturers were doing at the time) but simply for the fact they "could get more power out of it"

and legend tells of a field... :d:roll:

burgo

19-07-12, 11:14 PM

That ford collection must be getting on for a million pounds worth

Stuart

19-07-12, 11:18 PM

ThE db7 v12 engine was simply two mondeo v6's nailed together and two mondeo v6 engine management units used to control it.

A certain new Pagani uses fiat 500 door catches/locks lol

Nova-nation

19-07-12, 11:20 PM

Ford collection - epic.

Asa-James

19-07-12, 11:20 PM

ThE db7 v12 engine was simply two mondeo v6's nailed together and two mondeo v6 engine management units used to control it.

A certain new Pagani uses fiat 500 door catches/locks lol

I've heard tell that a Lamborghini murcialago shares its seatbelt buckle with a fiat seicento

Mike B GTE

20-07-12, 08:36 AM

The queen of the thundersaloons Baby Bertha, shown here at goodwood last month (my pic) in its famous DTV Castrol livery....

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa201/M16KEB/DSC_0585.jpg

...was Briefly owned by Paul Haywood-Halfpenny and was painted black: (not my photo)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa201/M16KEB/babayberthahalfpenny.jpg

in another breif spell in unfamilar hands she was also owned by Phil Barak and sported an Advance Watches livery and ubsurd rear wing, shown here at aintree i 81 (not my photo)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa201/M16KEB/Aintree81PhilBarak.jpg

Not so much trivia, but i find it quite interesting seing such a famous car in unfamiliar guises.